Electric-motor-driven butcher-block cleaner



March 23 1926.

H. w. BURTON ELECTRIC MOTOR DRIVEN BUTCHER BLOCK CLEANER Filed June 6, 1924 INVEN'rdR Harry VV- Bizrion BY ATTORNEIY Patented Mar. 23, 1926.

UNITED STATES HARRY w. BURTON, on rarer, CALIFORNIA.

ELECTRTC-MO'I OR DRIVEN BUTCHER-BLOCK CLEANER.

Application filed June 6,1924. Serial No. 718,289.

v To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY W. BURTON,

a citizen of the United States, residing at Taft, county 'of Kern, State of California, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Electric-Motor-Driven Butcher-Block Cleaners;. and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the characters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this application.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for cleaning butcher-blocks, such as are found in all butcher shops or meat markets, and used to cut and chop meat on.

They principal object of my invention is to provide a device for the purpose arranged to be electrically driven, which will clean the blocks evenly and expeditiously, and without any physical exertionon the part of the operator.

Afurther object is toprovide means, op-

erable in connection with the drive-motor of These objects I accomplish by means of such structure and relative arrangement of parts as will fully appear by a perusal of the following specification and claims.

In the drawings similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the several views:

Fig. 1 is a side assembly of the entire mechanism, 'foreshortened in height.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal elevation, partly in section, of the cleaner unit itself.

Fig. 3 is an end view of the same, partly in section.

Fig. 4 is a sectional view of a suction fanand refuse receptacle.

Referring now more particularly to the characters of reference on the drawings the numeral 1 denotes a horizontal shaft having removably keyed thereon a core 2 on which is mounted a plurality of radially disposed flexible steel bristles 3 of suitable and equal lengths, and forming a cylindrical .brush or cleaning element. The ends of the shaft aremounted in ball bearings -which are themselves seated in partially surrounding sockets providedin the ends of a housing 5., said bearings being normally prevented from displacement by removable caps 6 mounted on the ends of the housing and also partially seating the bearings, so that the latter are substantially enclosed. The housing is open at the bottom so as to allow the brush to be removed through the opening, but follows the periphery of the brush above the shaft.

At the opposite corners of the housing are bearing sleeves 7 for vertically slidable posts 8 carrying casters of the ball or other form on their lower ends. The posts are normally forced outwardly from the sleeves somewhat and so that the lower bristles clear the surface of a block 10 on which the Toasters rest, by means of springs 11 between the'sleeves and posts and concealed withinthe former. Movement of the posts outwardly of the sleeves is limited by pins 12 mounted in the latter and projecting into vertical grooves I 13 provided in the posts.

Flexible skirts 14, preferably of rubber,

are secured to the lower" edges of the sides of the housing, and extend between the sleeves, said skirts having a normal outward flare towards their lower ends, so that they will spread and flatten out without buckling when the housing is depressed.

The top of the housing is partially cut away, the opening thus formed being covered by a' hood 15. to the upper end of which isattached a flexible hose 16 of suitable length leading to the intake of thecasing 17 of a suction fan 18. In the bottom of this casing is a removable drawer 19', positioned to receive any solid'matter' drawn through the intake of the casing, the air from the fan discharging through an opening 20 above the drawer.

The fan is driven by an electric motor 21 mounted in connection therewith, the motor itself being preferably mounted on a; car-. riage 22 moving lengthwise along a horizon-i tal and fixed track 23.

Mounted on the ends of the housing-5 and H extending longitudinally'of the'shaft 1 are handles 24 and 25. The handle 24 has a'hole 26-at one end to enable it to engage a hook 27 on the carriage 22, .so as to enable the brush device to be hung up out of the way when not in use, and so that it will then be supported by the carriage, and the entire structure may be moved one way or the other along the track.

The handle 25 is hollow, and receives therethrough one end of a flexible shaft 28 lfea'ding from the motor shaft opposite the Said handle end of the flexible shaft is journaled in the handle, and has a rigid extension 29 projecting toward and terminating adjacent the corresponding end of the shaft 1 in alinement therewith.

A sleeve 30 is slidable but non-turnable on said extension, and is adapted to be slid over the end of the shaft 1 and to be detachably connected in driving relation thereto, as by a coupling or lock of the bayonet type illustrated at 31. In this manner, the two shafts are normally connected in driv- 'lng relation, but on uncouplingand sliding back the sleeve 30 so as to clear the shaft 1, and removing the caps 6, said. shaft 1 and brush member may be removed from the housing.

If one of the bearings 4: is then slid off the shaft 1, the core 2 may be withdrawn,

, and one with new bristles mounted on said shaft. This entire operation, as will be evident, consumes but little time. The handle 25 is cut away underneath about the sleeve coupling, so as to enable the latter to be easily moved.

In order that the'current to the motor may be easily turned on by the operator of the device, one. of the main leads 32 to the motor preferably extends first down alongside the shaft 28 to the handle 25, where .it is cut, the separated ends being insulated from each other, and being attached to separated spring contacts 33. These contacts are engaged when the handle is grasped by means of a spring strip 34:

thereon having at one end a button 35 arranged so that when said strip is depressed or moved toward the handle, the contacts will be pressed into engagement with each other.

In operation, the handles are grasped by the operator, and sufficient downward pres sure exerted thereon, against the resistance of the springs 11, to cause the bristles to engage the block 10. i

The motor having been put in operation as above described, the brush will rotate at a rapid rate, causing the bristles to loosen and clean from the block, all refuse thereon.

This refuse, due to the suction induced in the housing; by the action of the fan, will be drawn up the hose 16 and into the fan 7 housing 17. At this point,due both to the weight of the matter and to the action of the fan, said matter will fall or be forced into the drawer 19, from which it is removed at suitable intervals.

When one block is clean, the cleaner may be hung up on the carriageas previously indicated, or the carriage may be moved along sufliciently to enable the cleaner to be then used onany other block requiring cleaning.

The main motor-leads 32, above the motor must of course be arranged to have play sufficient to enable the motor to travel the gull length of the track with perfect free- The possible movement of the posts 8 enables the brushes to be used until they are worn down considerably, while the flexible skirts 14, which may also be applied along the lower edges of the end caps 6, prevent an undue amount of air being drawn into the housing when the latter is a considerable distance clear of the block.

From the foregoing description itwill be readily seen that I have produced such a. device as substantially fulfills the ob jects of the invention as set forth herein. Y

\Vhile this specification sets forth in detail the present and preferred construction of the device, still in practice such deviations from such detail may be resorted to as do not form a departure from the spirit of the invention, as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus'described my invention what claim as new and useful and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. A cleaning device comprising a housing open along one face, a rigid shaft journaled in the ends of the housing, a cylinfrom the housing as a unit.

2. Acleaning device comprising a housing open along the bottom, a rigid shaft journaled in the ends of the housing and removable therefrom by a downward movement of said shaft, a cylindrical brush mounted on the shaft, one end of the latter projecting beyond the housing, a flexilile shaft extending to said outer end of the rigid shaft, disconnectable coupling meansbetween said shafts, and a hollow handle mounted on the housing and partially enveloping the coupling, said handle being open along its bottom from the housing to a point outwardly of the coupling whereby to permit access to the latter, and the removal or replacement of the rigid shaft without interference with the handle.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature.

HARRY W. BURTON. 

